“Dear Horticulture Talk, I’m looking for a variety of savoy cabbage that I can grow and keep in my garden through winter. Will Savoy Express be okay? Thanks, John.”
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Hi John,
Thank you for contacting us in regards to Savoy Cabbage that is winter hardy. Savoy Express Hybrid is not a real good keeper in terms of freezing. While it will survive fall frosts, it is a variety that you want to have in before the cold of winter sets in.
However, there are some open pollination (heirloom) varieties that you may be interested in. These have a better tolerance of the cold than the Savoy Expess Hybrid:
–Chieftain Savoy (also known as Chieftain Drumhead Savoy or Savoy Chief): 80-105 days, AAS winner in 1938. This variety is a round, flattened, solid drumhead, about 6-8 pounds, with dark blue-green finely curled leaves. It has good wrapper leaves and is white inside. It can withstand the frost of fall and is winterhardy to zone 5.
–Des Vertus: 75-95 days. This is a French savoy type with 3 pound heads. The leaves are crinkled and a deep blue-green with a mild, sweet flavor. It is very adaptable in that it can withstand the heat of summer and overwinter in mild areas (Zone 5 and warmer).
–Holland White (also known as Holland Late Winter): This variety has solid white heads that are traditionally used for sauerkraut, coleslaw, and salads. They produce 4-7 pound heads and store well. If planted in May or June, the heads will be ready in October thru December and can overwinter in the garden.
–January King: 100-160 days. It is an frost resistant, English ‘semi-savoy’ variety. It is sown in May-July and then harvested in November-January. The heads are flat and solid with a light green color. There are also purple markings on the wrapper leaves. The heads are 3-5 pounds, resistant to splitting, and are of very fine quality.
–Winter King: 80 days. Original, dark-green finely crumpled leaves, uniform heads on short stems, can overwinter in mild areas. Excellent quality.
–Winterfurst: This is an extremely late savoy that has 5-7 pound healds. The plants are sown early but harvested in late fall or winter. It is very hardy and stores well. They can even be harvested in early spring.
I hope this information helps you out. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
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